"Ah the truth...feels good to finally be there. I am about 1 year out. This is before the new clinic, but since my money in some ways paved the way I'll comment on my experience.
To be honest I didn't "do" allot of research and almost did the band...It was Sandy that set me straight and so without her I would have a crappy band.
I went on my own and luckily on a Fri.? when normally the staff is returning the patients to their own divices and their homes hopefuly. I was the only one there...
Yer picked up, sized up and taken for the ride of your life....First stop blood is taken, then to clinic, an old man does your pre-op (no english) medical eval., and they put you in a gown, ask for the money and drug ya. If this seems simple in explaination, it is. It really happens this effientally and quick.
Bentancourt pops in while you lay there and schmoozes for a couple of minutes and then Almanza, everybody smiles and away you go. You wake up, alone and for the next two days the only contact is nurses that come in to refill the IV and to shoot ya full of drugs.
I never saw or heard Bentancourt or Almanza ever again.
I got my bathroom and a shower done with no help and insisted on walking up and down the street for exercise...that last one made the nurse very nervous as the neiborhood is/was rough.
Driver assigned to take care of me pops in, busy hustling, spends three minutes with me. Tells me to be ready at 8 am next morning for leak test and moving me to hotel. I'm up, packed and ready at time given and nothing happens. Hrs. later he shows and at first denies telling me that but later admits in was out late previous night.
Leak test is uneventful and then I was taken to hotel. Nice,new hotel. Driver drops me at front desk, gets me into room. He tells me to order room service (I pay of course) and to stick with soup. This is Sunday, remember its been since Thursday since I've eaten or had
liquids. But room service is a restuarant that delivers so I get a quick spanish lesson (soupa) and he leaves. I order on my own.
Soup comes (greasy) and can only eat a coule of spoonfuls. There is a breakfast buffet in AM but not now...I try to exchange dollars for pesos at front desk to use vending machine but only taxi driver seems to have pesos as the hotel "keeps no money" at front desk. Vending machine has nothing but crap but I go w/ a sugary nectar drink.
Now the fun begins....I go icy cold, shaking to the core of my body. I turn the heat on and take hot shower sitting on floor, then put on all the clothes I have and covers too. Pass out. I awake, sweating bullets, burning up now, must de-cloth, put air on and cool body quick. This went on ALL night. Hot/ cold ect.
Numerous calls went out to co-ordinator from my family in States and finaly Sandy called me and soon after the driver calls me. The option was to pull me from the hotel, in the middle of the night and put me back in the clinic. Not an option..TJ at night, no one at
clinic (Sunday night), no way.
Next day I was better, heal thy self. I get picked up Mon. am. by two drivers and went to consultation with dentist in TJ at clinics recommendation. Not a very appeasing place. Off the nasty streets, poor people sleeping on sidewalk, dirty and the dentist office was open, I mean no doors anywhere. He plops me down and I told him I was interested in crowns...he didn't want to here it. Instead he told me I had two cavities. I said I'll wait. I had my US Dr. check me and without telling him what I already suspected, I had NO cavities!
Next we went to eye DR. about possible lasic...again Dr. didn't want to hear about it. Instead he sold me progressive glasses and mailed them to me in US. Awful, terrible. It took all the bitching and complaining I could muster to get my money back,,,finally Bentacourt stepped in to help.
The guys that drive you are hustling...make no mistake. You can expect to be told one thing and then something will else happen. They told me to be ready to go one day and left me sitting for hrs. at the clinic. We had detours, side ventures, driving friends into US, opportunities/suggestive to go to casino, strip bar, ect. We did end up at casino where I bought them 20.00 each casino chips while I sat at the bar sipping water. Fact is you have to be prepared to go with the flow and/or take care of yourself. They're young and have a good gig and are looking for MONEY...Aren't we all?
Tuesday am, time to go home. We go early as there is another man (Canadian) going on an earlier flight than mine so we all go together. He had the band put in but his body was
rejecting it...everyone else from the previous week had gone home and whether or not this gentlemans problem was fixed I don't know. All I know is he was ready to go home. I don't know where this guy was the whole time either as I was the only one at the clinic and he was suffering complications.
For the drivers its a new week.... drive the straglers to US side, make some side trips and pick up fresh clients for this week. And so it goes!
To sum...I glad I did it...saved my life...saved a ton of money. Makes a great story. No after care...very bare bones...you need a crafted, skilled co-ordinator otherwise spend the money and do "it" in US.
I don't think anyone on either side of the issues should have a problem with this post...If you want this post moved or removed I will be glad to do it.
Sterno...100 lbs. gone forever, diabetes II gone forever, hyper-tension gone forever. "
